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| -Signs, Portents, and the Weather- | |
| Millions of Americans warned to stay inside today amid 'heart attack or stroke' warnings | |
| 2025-08-05 | |
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] Millions of Americans have been urged to stay indoors and close their windows as a thick smoky haze blankets large swaths of the US.
In northern Wisconsin, a red alert is also in effect, with officials urging everyone to remain indoors where and when possible. The alerts were issued after wildfire smoke blew across the border from Canada, which is experiencing its second worst fire season on record. More than 4,000 blazes have been recorded so far, with around 700 still burning. The orange alert is aimed at sensitive groups, such as very young children, older adults or those with underlying conditions such as asthma or other respiratory diseases. But officials at the NWS told DailyMail.com that even healthy adults in affected states should consider limiting outdoor activities. Breathing in smoke from wildfires can irritate the airways and cause trouble breathing. In serious cases, it can also raise the levels of inflammation in the blood and cause clots to form that may block a blood vessel and cause a stroke or heart attack. Warnings over wildfire smoke are expected to remain in place through Monday and into Tuesday, with officials saying they could be extended to the end of the week. Mac Bhenard, a lead forecaster at the NWS, told this website: 'The smoke is probably going to still be around today or tomorrow... and it does look like some smoke may be present through to the end of the week.' He added: 'The orange alerts pretty much just recommend that people should consider limiting strenuous outdoor physical activity. 'That typically includes those in the most sensitive groups, such as very young people and those with pre-existing respiratory problems. But, in general, the recommendation for everyone is to limit strenuous outdoor activities if you can. 'Closing windows may also be a good idea. Trying to preserve indoor air quality, that certainly can't hurt.' The states under orange air quality alerts are: Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont and Wisconsin. There are also orange alerts covering parts of Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Vermont. The red alert covered northern Wisconsin. Over the weekend, parts of Illinois were also under warnings because of the smoke, although that alert is now no longer in place. In the affected states, the Air Quality Index, a measure of pollution in the air, has surged to between 101 and 150, the weather service says. In northern Wisconsin, it is between 151 and 200. A healthy level is between 0 to 50, while an acceptable level is between 51 and 100. Most of the US is typically in the healthy, or green, level. | |
| Posted by:Skidmark |
| #9 Watery eyes and a bit of wheez mowing the lawn, but the Moon has been an absolutely fabulous shade of orange. We should do this again for Halloween. |
| Posted by: SteveS 2025-08-05 21:34 |
| #8 |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2025-08-05 13:02 |
| #7 Yeah, my sinuses have been on overload. Pretty sunrises, however. |
| Posted by: Mullah Richard 2025-08-05 07:22 |
| #6 Working with dumb people ought to have warning levels. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2025-08-05 06:44 |
| #5 Canadian wildfire smoke chokes skies, plummets air quality for 160 million in US |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2025-08-05 01:00 |
| #4 Last August when particulates < 2.5 microns were high I was getting coatings on my windshield every night, and had to use the windshield washer to clear my view. Not much of a problem so far this summer. |
| Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2025-08-05 00:39 |
| #3 I meant to write "6 components" |
| Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2025-08-05 00:35 |
| #2 Air Quality Index as my local reports are, consists of 3 components: particulate matter < 2.5 microns (among which are smoke particles, currently measured on scale as, MODERATE high 60), particulate matter < 10 microns GOOD 21, Ozone GOOD at 45, Nitrogen oxide GOOD 9, Carbon monoxide GOOD 3, Sulfur dioxide GOOD 1. Yet local National Weather Service is warning about elevated Ozone at this moment (not happening) and not warning about Particulate Matter (which is happening). Local warnings are not making sense IMNSHO. |
| Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2025-08-05 00:34 |
| #1 Thank you Canada. |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2025-08-05 00:25 |